Rawlings Blames NDC Defeat on Corruption and Greed: Facts To Know About 38th June 4 Anniversary

Post by Stephanie Ekowa June 6, 2017

Rawlings on NDC defeat: Former President and founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Jerry John Rawlings has called for an absolute reinforcement of the party’s values. The NDC founder has said that the party lost “disgracefully” in the December 2016 general election because of greed, corruption and “betrayal of the values of June 4.”

Several dignitaries graced the 38th-anniversary of June 4th at Wa in the Upper West Region. Addressing the crowd, JJ Rawlings, gave a comprehensive version of events, regarding reasons for the NDC’s massive defeat in the December 2016 elections.

During the address, JJ Rawlings said Ghanaians booted the NDC out of office because of sickening greed, selfishness and corruption. Rawlings explained that the NDC administration was devoid of the party’s values -probity, transparency and accountability, while in power.

He further lamented that the corruption that plagued the NDC when it was in power was about a thousand times more than what warranted the June 4, 1979, uprising, which led to the execution of some Ghanaian leaders.

NDC Members Clash Over 2016 Defeat

NDC members have been at loggerheads concerning the possible reasons behind their disgraceful and historic defeat. President Nana Addo won the elections in a landslide victory to the surprise of political stakeholders across the country. The President had polled 53.85 percent of the votes to beat then-incumbent John Mahama of the NDC who polled 44.4 percent. This was despite the former president’s incessant efforts to propagate his very many achievements to the people.

The historic episode which remained an agenda for discussion for several months, caused the party to opt for significant moves towards finding the root cause. The NDC who had been in huge shock following the defeat of ex-President Mahama subsequently got entangled in series of disputes as members tried to find a way forward.

In trying to come up with ideas as well as solutions to the forestall future recurrences, there have been heated arguments in the opposition party. With respect to this development, the party set up a thirteen member committee to investigate what accounted for the party’s historic defeat.

The committee headed by Prof. Kwesi Botchwey was also tasked to provide political analysis that will help the NDC choose a good leader who will reclaim power for the party come 2020.

Rawlings on NDC Defeat

But JJ Rawlings seems to have a suitable explanation for the NDC’s conquest as well as the seeming nemesis hunting the party in recent times. The NDC of today Rawlings stresses is nothing compared to what existed before he overturned the military regime on June 4, 1979.

Speaking at the 38th anniversary of the June 4 Revolution, Papa JJ said there had been times in the past when he had felt like leaving the party he founded and moving on. According to him, it had always been the plight of good people in the party that held him at bay.

The revolution era back in the days, saw corrupt and dubious officials being executed for their crimes. But according to Rawlings; in the NDC of today, the greed, corruption and injustice are a thousand times more than what those officials were executed for.

Attacking former officials under the previous NDC administration, Mr. Rawlings said some of the Mahama’s appointees amassed so much wealth and used the money as a political weapon to become kingmakers.

Rawlings on NDC Defeat: Party Leadership Shake Up Needed

JJ Rawlings used the same medium to call for a complete overhaul of the leadership of the NDC. Rawlings on NDC defeat pointed out that a shake-up was the only way the party could come back strong for the next election in 2020. The NDC however, is yet to respond to the claims by the party’s founder.

Rawlings’ Prolonged Squabble With NDC

It’s no longer speculation that there is an existing feud between the opposition party -NDC and its founder JJ Rawlings. Deliberate omission of Rawlings’ name in some NDC gatherings, Papa J’s seeming evasion of NDC members at public events and much more, are proof of conflict of interest between the two.

Facts deduced from the recurring frictions in NDC-Rawlings relationship have all revolved around the party’s failure to live up to the values and expectations of its previous heads.

The reports centre on Rawlings repulsion of NDC’s corruption and incompetence said to have led to the party’s election defeat in December 2016. Furthermore, there have been no significant attempts by the party nor its leadership to break these walls.

But according to some political analysts, this discord could be the major factor behind the mishaps that have befallen the opposition party in recent times.